Lack of Intimacy Cited as Reason for Over-50 Divorce

A survey among 1,900 UK residents who divorced after the age of 50 found that a lack of intimacy was the main reason for their split. What differed between men and women was how they defined intimacy – one-third of men say their marriage ended because their partner was no longer interested in sex, while 28 percent of the women surveyed said they divorced because their partners became emotionally cold.

The survey also found that 14 percent say that nagging was responsible for their divorce, and 10 percent said they no longer had anything in common with their partners. Five percent of those surveyed said they had waited until later in life to divorce because of their children.

Researchers said they believe that older couples divorce for different reasons than younger couples. Once their children have left home and they are nearing the age of retirement, intimacy becomes a more important attribute in their choice of partner for their later years. In addition, women begin to see more opportunities for themselves that may not have been there when they were first married or occupied with raising children.

Relationship experts said that couples over 50 need to work harder at rebuilding their relationships after the children have left home to minimize the risk of divorce.